Saturday, October 01, 2011

Front Numbers Of the Apocalypse

Sure, I'm a bit late to the party, but I wanted to see how they panned out first. The NHL is apparently going to try out having numbers on the front of the helmets for this upcoming season. The news first broke when the equipment manager of the Minnesota Wild put a picture up on Twitter of Dany Healthy's helmet with the front numbers on them.

During preseason games, you could see team like the Wild and Nashville Predators try out this new invention, which the NHL is claiming to use to help the people at home watching with who has the puck and broadcasters, as well. Not that that big number on back and "TV" numbers on the sleeves were enough for some people.

My point is that these look so far out of place, it's laughable. As much as I hate the front number to the jerseys because it's out of place; I'd much rather have those than the numbers on the front of the helmet. Hell-- I'd rather have unnecessary piping on the helmets than to have these front numbers.

There's a lot of other hypothesis about why these numbers are there-- that it's the start of helmet branding is one of the funnier ones, but someone suggested that it's to maybe get the players from focusing on the head, as if it were a guy with his back turned. If you see the numbers, don't hit them is the rule you learn in pee-wee hockey, but still we have those issues today. If that's the reason, the NHL should come out and say that rather than to actually have the audacity to say that it's due to making it easier to watch.

People have eyes and will probably be able to tell the numbers from the back rather than in the front. Plus, you'd be able to tell skating styles and all that other junk, but at the same time-- if this is for safety measures; it probably is going to get as ragged on as it has been. Odds are people would accept it more and maybe even applaud the decision to do something like that. Yet-- here we are....front numbers; hopefully the helmet companies will take my piping line as a joke.....god, I hope.